Squirts at State Championship

OMGoodness. I was trying to copy my blog and send it to someone in an email for the hockey newsletter and I ended up deleting 4 paragraphs about Riley's State Championship. I have many swear words, none of which are appropriate for a family blog.:(
I might try to recreate it after I regain my composure.
This is what's left that I did not manage to delete:

What could we do after the game but drown our sorrow in pizza and beer. Root beer for the kids, of course.


Sarah, envying Michael's beer sampler.

Maya and Grandma.

Riley and Michael B.

Chris sipping on root beer.

Michael A. and Nanna

The micro brew sampler. These are tiny little glasses.

Mt. Redoubt, chocolate cake with a chocolate molten center covered with whipped cream, more chocolate and caramel.

Snow Day, After Day

This blog is over a week late, but still worth posting. Last week we had a blizzard that went on for days. On Friday, March 5, we woke up to a foot of snow that fell overnight. School was delayed 2 hours to give the snowplows time to clear the roads and the buses time to chain up. Then it was cancelled. Snow fell and winds howled for 2 days and 3 nights. Sunday we woke up to sunshine and blue skies. But it was only the eye of the storm. Sunday night the wind began to howl again and the snow kept falling. Tuesday school was cancelled again! We have not had a snow day for over 10 years! Then two in one week. The kids were overjoyed, until they learned they had to make it up in May. It was surreal. We did not leave home for days. We just kept eating what was in the house. By the third day, the fridge was looking rather bare. We could have lived on macaroni and cheese and spaghetti for another week, but luckily, we didn't have to resort to canned and dried foods.


When Matt and I first got married, he was appalled by my inability to keep the pantry stocked with canned foods. He said, "You obviously have never been in a blizzard." I said, "No, I grew up in California where we could get fresh fruits and vegetables all year round." Lucky for Matt, I am a Costco addict. And you can't get one of anything from Costco. We compromised on a limited supply of Costco canned products. Luckily, we didn't have to dip into the pantry, since our Costco supplies were low anyway. I was afraid that once again, Matt would prove me wrong. I hate it when he's right.

After the storm.

The basketball hoop behind our 5 foot snow berms.

Matt shoveled a tunnel to the our hockey rink we named "The Boat Pad".

Our hot tub under snow.

Mother of the House

Now that the days are getting longer, I am really enjoying long walks with the dogs. Sarah has been joining me for some of our walks. We are settling into a comfortable routine with her home. When she first comes home it's like a party every night which can be exhausting with 3 small children in school. Now she helps put the kids to bed, cooks, cleans and is generally very helpful and fun to be with. For a while she was intent on kicking butt and trying to get the boys to do chores. Not that I don't do those things, but I am inconsistent.

One night I announced that Sarah had been elected the new Mother of the House and I was being demoted to Resident Adolescent. We stayed up too late watching movies, overslept the next day and were late for school. I got caught speeding in a school zone and was pulled over by a state trooper. When he asked me for my driver's license, registration and proof of insurance, I told him "It gets worse officer, I left my purse at home and all those things are in my purse." He asked me for my name and called in to check my record. He returned a few minutes later and let me off with a warning.

I wonder what my police record says? Irene is an airhead but basically harmless. She has been pulled over a lot for drunk driving because she doesn't take the center divide or lane lines very seriously. (In Vietnam, the lane lines are merely gentle suggestions. Nobody actually takes them very seriously). It was enough to scare me back into being a responsible mom again. I forgot how much I hated getting in trouble as a teen.

Hockey season is almost over. Riley's team goes to their State Championship in two weeks. I am organizing an end of the year tournament for Chris' team since they don't have a State Championship. What do hockey moms do after State? They spring clean and get ready for baseball season, of course!

Weeks 3 and 4 of dance class Maya finally started participating in class. At first she tried to pull her stunts but Grandma would have none of it. My mom asked Maya if she would rather participate in dance or go home and take a nap? Maya marched right back to class and danced! Kudos to Grandma, the original Queen of Kickbuttocity!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Maya having fun with Chris

Riley hiding in Maya's closet.

Our fire-bellied toad died. This is the coffin we are going to bury him in when the snow melts.

Oh please, really? What the...

Maya trying on sun glasses at Safeway.

Irene buys her first pair of reading glasses.

March in Alaska